Alberta’s Geography
Big Picture: The students will create digital scrapbook displaying the major geographic, vegetative regions,
bodies of water and landforms of Alberta. They will choose 2 regions to explore in depth. The students will
then present their scrapbook to all the students of their class. You may want to model this like a science fair.
They will also learn to cite digital references by numbering pictures and information from the net then listing with
URLs on the last page of project. E.g.
1. Map of Alberta http://www.cgkids.ca/cgkids/maps.asp
SOCIAL STUDIES - General Outcome:
4.1 Alberta: A Sense of the Land – students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how
elements of physical geography, climate, geology and paleontology are integral to the landscapes and
environment of Alberta.
Values and Attitudes - Specific Outcomes:
4.1.1 The students will value Alberta’s physical geography and natural environment
Knowledge and Understanding - Specific Outcomes:
4.1.2 The students will critically examine the physical geography of Alberta by exploring and reflecting.
4.1.3 The students will critically examine how geology and paleontology contribute to knowledge of Alberta’s
physical geography.
4.1.4 The students will analyze how Albertans interact with their environment.
Skills and Processes For Grade 4
Dimensions of Thinking
4.S.1 Students will develop skills of critical thinking and creative thinking
4.S.3 Students will develop skills of geographic thinking
Research for Deliberative Inquiry
4.S.7 The students will apply the research process
Communication
4.S.8 The students will demonstrate skills of oral, written and visual literacy
4.S.9 The students will develop skills of media literacy
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ITC Outcomes: These are used in all aspects of the project.
Category: Communicating, Inquiring, Decision Making and Problem Solving
C1.2.1 access and retrieve appropriate information from the Internet by using a specific search path or from
given uniform resource locations
C1.2.2 organize information gathered from the Internet, or an electronic source, by selecting and recording the
data in logical files or categories; and by communicating effectively, through appropriate forms, such as
speeches, reports and multimedia presentations, applying information technologies that serve particular
audiences and purposes
C6.2.2 use data gathered from a variety of electronic sources to address identified problems
Category: Foundational Operations, Knowledge and Concepts
F3.2.2 work collaboratively to share limited resources
F3.2.4 document sources obtained electronically, such as web site addresses
Category: Processes for Productivity
P1.2.2 edit and format text to clarify and enhance meaning, using such word processing features as the
thesaurus, find/change, text alignment, font size and font style
P3.2.2 access available databases for images to support communication
P4.2.2 vary font size and font style, and placement of text and graphics in order to create a certain visual effect
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Preparation of Digital Scrapbook
1. Students need to have these basic skills:
- able to copy and past text and pictures
- able to identify the audience and therefore use appropriate font style and size
- able to open and save projects
- able to basically use Publisher or PowerPoint
- able to move pages around inside the project
- able to find clipart offered by program used
- able to access and use a hotlist
2. Review with the students the necessity of citing all sources of pictures and information and set the page up
first so as they research they can easily cite the sources.
3. Discuss with students the background they are able to choose. Is a busy background each to read? Do the
font colour and background work well together?
4. Use of voice-over is encouraged if available at your school. Consider a Podcast.
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A. Prior Knowledge Discussion:
- Where is Alberta located in relation to the other provinces and territories of Canada?
- What are the major geographical and natural vegetation regions, landforms and bodies of water in Alberta?
(e.g., prairie region, forests, rivers, hoodoos, Rocky Mountains, oil sands?)
- What are the significant natural resources in Alberta and where are they located (e.g., mineral deposits, coal,
natural gas and oil, forests)?
- What geological features make Alberta unique (e.g., hoodoos, rocky Mountains, foothills, oil sands)?
- How are Alberta’s Provincial Parks, protected areas and the National Parks in Alberta important to the
sustainability of Alberta’s natural environment?
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B. Discuss how students are going to make a digital scrap book showing the diverse regions within Alberta.
They can look at this site to see a digital scrapbook: http://www.khiba.com/PSP/Fall04/
C. First Page: Where is Alberta located in relation to the other provinces and territories of Canada?
http://www.cgkids.ca/cgkids/cgkids.asp
D. Second Page: What are the major geographical and natural vegetation regions, landforms and bodies of
water in Alberta? Find a map of Alberta showing different regions.
http://www.cgkids.ca/cgkids/cgkids.asp
E. Third Page and Fourth Page: Choose one region and explore and find information for your scrapbook. E.g.
Prairie, Parkland, Hoodoos, Oil Sands etc.. What are the major geographical, natural vegetation regions,
landforms and bodies of water in the region? What are the significant natural resources within the region?
What geological features make region unique? This is where you will research information and save pictures for
your scrapbook. Don't forget to look in your text book for information and pictures to scan.
http://www.raysweb.net/specialplaces/pages/places.html
http://www.albertasource.ca/aoe/ui/index.aspx
F. Fourth Page and Fifth Page: Choose another region and explore and find information for your scrapbook.
E.g. Prairie, Parkland, Hoodoos, Oil Sands. What are the major geographical, natural vegetation regions,
landforms and bodies of water in region? What are the significant natural resources within the region? What
geological features make the region unique? This is where you will research information and save pictures for
your scrapbook. Don't forget to look in your text book for information and pictures to scan.
http://www.2learn.ca/Alberta/
http://www.albertasource.ca/aoe/ui/index.aspx
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G. Sixth Page: How are Alberta’s Provincial Parks, protected areas and the National Parks in Alberta important
to the sustainability of Alberta’s natural environment? List reasons for your answer to the question based on
the research you have completed.
H. Seventh Page: A list of numbers and URLs used in the production of this journal typed in script, double
spaced and aged. Also site any pages from your textbook the same way.
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Three
Construction of the
Digital Scrapbook
Page One: Alberta In
Relation To Canada
Page Two:
Major Geographical
Regions of Alberta
Page Three and Four:
In-depth Study Of One
Region
X2
Page Five and Six: Indepth Study Of One
Region
X2
Page Six: Provincial
Parks, Protected Area
and Alberta’s National
Parks
X2
Citations
Two
One
Insufficient
- layout makes information very easy
to read
- outstanding set up (background,
font)
- layout makes information easy to
read
- satisfactory set up (background,
font)
- with support layout makes
information readable
- with support set up appropriate
(background, font)
Too little
information to
evaluate
- map chosen very clearly shows
Alberta’s location in relation to the
provinces in Canada
- map chosen clearly shows Alberta’s
location in relation to the provinces in
Canada
- with support map chosen shows
Alberta’s location in relation to the
provinces in Canada
Too little
information to
evaluate
- map chosen very clearly shows
major geographical regions in Alberta
- map chosen clearly shows major
geographical regions in Alberta
- with support map chosen shows
major geographical regions in
Alberta
Too little
information to
evaluate
- list of natural resources very clearly
identified in the chosen region
- natural vegetation region is very
clearly identified
- landforms of the region are very
clearly identified’
- bodies of water of the region are
very clearly identified
- list of natural resources clearly
identified in the chosen region
- natural vegetation region is clearly
identified
- landforms of the region are clearly
identified’
- bodies of water of the region are
clearly identified
Too little
information to
evaluate
- list of natural resources very clearly
identified in the chosen region
- natural vegetation region is very
clearly identified
- landforms of the region are very
clearly identified’
- bodies of water of the region are
very clearly identified
- list of natural resources clearly
identified in the chosen region
- natural vegetation region is clearly
identified
- landforms of the region are clearly
identified’
- bodies of water of the region are
clearly identified
- several reasons are very clearly
identified
- few reasons are clearly identified
- with support list of natural
resources clearly identified in the
chosen region
- with support natural vegetation
region is clearly identified
- with support landforms of the
region are clearly identified’
- with support bodies of water of
the region are clearly identified
- with support list of natural
resources clearly identified in the
chosen region
- with support natural vegetation
region is clearly identified
- with support landforms of the
region are clearly identified’
- with support bodies of water of
the region are clearly identified
- with support a couple of reasons
are identified
- every picture or information search
from Internet or books is cited
- numbers clearly displayed
- most pictures or information
searches from Internet or books are
cited
- numbers are displayed
- few pictures or information
searches from Internet or books
are cited
- numbers clearly displayed
Too little
information to
evaluate
Too little
information to
evaluate
Too little
information to
evaluate
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You may access all the above links by:
Going to: http://www.2learn.ca
Then: Kids Love 2Learn.ca
Then type in: N3896
You will then be taken to a hotlist and descriptions of the sites.
Or
Going to: http://www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/fil/
In Search Filamentality type: Alberta Geography and choose the site named Alberta Geography
Or
Go to: http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/listalbertadb.html
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